1. Technical Field
This invention relates to interactive computer information display systems for displaying text or other information. Such systems are coming into widespread use, through information access systems such as the “Internet” World Wide Web (WWW). Large amounts of information are available to users having access to such systems. However, in order to gain access to such systems relatively expensive hardware is required, in particular a computer and a modem, limiting the availability of the information to users who have access to such a terminal. Furthermore, the hardware is typically bulky, and is not easily portable. Mobile systems, comprising a “laptop” computer and a cellular telephone, do exist, but because of the limited bandwidth available on mobile communications, these tend to be very slow.
2. Related Art
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is a term used for software, systems, methodologies and capabilities that help an enterprise organise and manage customer relationships. The use of CRM systems and strategies lead to a better understanding of customer wants and needs. Used in conjunction with data warehousing, data mining, call centre systems and other intelligence applications, CRM allows enterprises to gather and access information about customer buying preferences, purchase histories, complaints and other data so to aid the anticipation of what customers will want. Other benefits of CRM for businesses include increased customer loyalty, faster response to customer inquiries, a deeper understanding of customers, increased marketing and selling opportunities, monitoring feedback that leads to improved products and services and obtaining information that can be shared with business partners to create new propositions for customers.
Multimedia “kiosks” have been proposed for locations to which the public have access. In order to identify the user, and allow payment to be made for the service if required, facilities such as a credit card “swipe” unit are also necessary. Nevertheless, however the authentication is done, since such kiosks are available for any member of the public to use, the user has to provide user-specific information if CRM-based information is to be usable by the service provider. For security, this may require the user to have a security password or other access control process, making the use of such systems cumbersome. Some such facilities, for example that disclosed in International patent application WO02/07135, make use of a wireless connection for such authentication, for example using the “Bluetooth” standard to be discussed later, so that a suitably equipped portable device may transmit the necessary identification information to the fixed terminal, thereby permitting the holder of the portable device to operate the fixed device.
However, there is a further drawback to such systems. The fixed equipment is valuable, and its accessibility to the public makes it vulnerable to theft, vandalism, and tampering. The equipment is also not suitable for exposed locations, as it is not in general weatherproof.
International Patent application WO98/36552 discloses a system in which a mobile handset, such as a standard cellular telephone, may be used to control a fixed visual display unit, by setting up a data connection over the cellular telephone network between the cellular telephone and a server controlling the display unit. This allows a mobile user to access data over a high speed link, for display on a large screen terminal close to his current locality, whilst the terminal itself can be protected from theft, vandalism, the weather and other hazards by being located in an inaccessible, but visible, location such as behind a shop window.
However, this system requires the establishment of two separate data links, between the server and the user's mobile terminal and between the server and the fixed terminal. If any audio information is to be supplied, or any private personal data, this cannot be exchanged between the user and the fixed terminal without the use of separate links to the server, requiring greater bandwidth than that needed for a few simple control commands. It should be noted in this connection that, in this specification, the term “display” is not limited to visual displays but, unless the context demands otherwise embraces other means of conveying information such as tactile (e.g. Braille, vibration alerts) and audio information. A terminal sealed behind a shop window is of course inherently unsuitable for conveying such information.